STARKVILLE — Heritage Academy junior Tyler Anderson knows what the big inning feels like.
“In our tournament (at Gulf Shores, Alabama) last week, we had some seven- and eight-spots,” Anderson said. “Playing well down there gave us a lot of confidence. We know now we can have the big inning. We know we can score some runs.”
The Heritage Academy baseball team found the big inning just in time Monday night, scoring five runs in the fourth inning of a 7-5 victory against Starkville Academy in a Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, District 2 game at Volunteer Field.
“We had a down year last year,” Heritage Academy senior Thomas Cooper said. “But we have a lot of guys back from that team. We learned how to deal with adversity and have just kept growing. At the beginning of this season, we just seemed more determined. That is why we handled the adversity tonight.”
Heritage Academy’s adversity came in the form of Starkville Academy ace right-hander Caleb Griffin, who had thrown a complete game in every start this season. More than a dozen college coaches were on hand to watch as Griffin appeared well on his way to doing the same Monday night. Through three innings, he allowed one hit and struck out six.
Things turned when Heritage Academy (9-4, 1-0 district) struck for five runs on four hits in the fourth. An inning later, the Volunteers went to the bullpen after Griffin hit two and walked one.
“Patience was the key,” Heritage Academy coach Bruce Branch said. “We knew they had a tremendous pitcher on the mound. We also knew it a seven-inning game, so we just had to be patient. We thought we could score some runs if we got in their bullpen. One thing about this team is they never get rattled. They never get down. They never lose confidence.”
Starkville Academy (11-3, 0-1) built a 4-0 lead with one run in the second and three in the third. The Volunteers then found the going tough and saw a nine-game winning streak snapped.
Cooper allowed a RBI double by Colt Chrestman and a two-run single by Carter Roach in the third. The first run scored on a ground-ball out.
Things started innocently enough in the fourth with a ground-ball out and a walk for the Patriots. Logan Sneed and Hunter Short followed with hits. A sacrifice fly plated one run and a wild pitch scored another. Another walk then set up a two-run double by Anderson and a RBI single by Brandon Jones that made it 5-4.
“The best thing about this team is the whole dugout was still in the game at 4-0,” Anderson said. “We were excited and everybody was still up. We just shake off the bad things and keep battling. This was a rivalry game, and we really wanted it badly. You could tell because we didn’t let anything get us down. We knew it would he hard, but we also knew we just had to put some hits together.”
The undoing of Griffin only amounted to one run for the Patriots in the fifth.
Starkville Academy then came back to chase Cooper with back-to-back doubles by Roach and Kyle Faver and a walk in the home half of the fifth.
After a sacrifice bunt sent runners to second and third base, junior Logan Sneed came in for a critical strikeout and groundout to preserve the 6-5 lead.
“It’s a lot of more fun finishing a game instead of starting a game,” Sneed said. “When you start a game, you feel all the pressure is on you for how it is going to go. In relief, you just come in and throw strikes. I knew we had the lead, so I just had to find a way to keep that lead. I really didn’t feel any pressure out there. I was just doing my job.”
Sneed worked around a leadoff walk in the sixth to retire the final six Volunteers. He retired nine of 10 batters faced to save Cooper’s win.
“It was an incredible pitching performance against a really good offensive team,” Branch said. “Thomas competed and gave us a chance. Logan did a great job. When we defend, we can be a pretty good team. We made the plays tonight. That gave us a chance.”
Heritage Academy made the most of six hits. Short was the team’s lone multiple hitter. Starkville Academy had eight hits. Roach and Faver each had two.
“You’ve got to have pitching and defense to win at the highest level and our defense just wasn’t there,” Starkville Academy coach Jarrod Parks said. “We came out and swung it well. We just gave them a lot of runs.”
Heritage Academy finished 3-1 on its spring break trip. The Patriots have come a long way since blowing a 12-5 seventh-inning lead in a 13-12 loss to Oak Hill Academy.
“There was so much team bonding last week,” Cooper said. “I think we are a lot closer. We are getting geared up for the stretch run. We have enough of the parts needed to make a run at a championship.”
Branch also saw his team grow up during its time together and out of school. The team also had an earlier loss outside the state to an Alabama opponent and two losses to Jackson Academy.
“We are really making some strides,” Branch said. “Tonight was a huge step. To be able to keep the composure and keep grinding says a lot. This is the type of game that shows how far we have come.”
The rivals will play again at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Columbus.
“Beating Starkville is always sweet,” Anderson said. “Now we got to go home and get ready to try to do it again.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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